Question

Wow, this guy is nice. Ability for mine is Skill Link. It knows:

Spike Cannon: High accuracy, ends up hittin five times with Skill Link.
Rock Blast: Ends up hitting five times with Skill Link.
Clamp: STAB, damages the foe for two-five turns, deals with Rock types.
Ice Shard: STAB, high accuracy, priority, deals with Grass types.

Cloyster Learnset

Comments

Cloyster (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Icicle Spear
- Surf
- Rock Blast
- Shell Smash

Answer 1

With strong moves like Close Combat, Stone Edge, and Stealth Rock dominating the competitive metagame, Cloyster doesn't seem as bulky as it used to. So I think THIS will the be the new generation's standard:

Ability: Skill Link
Nature: Naive/Jolly
EVs: Speed, lots of it!
*Shell Break - acts like Swords Dance, Nasty Plot, and Agility all in one technique! But it comes at the cost of -2 Defense AND Sp. Defense. Cloyster has godly Defense AND poor Sp. Defense and, as stated, Cloyster can't really take advantage of its natural bulk anyway thanks to Stealth Rock, Close Combat, and Stone Edge and no reliable means of recovery so it doesn't really matter either way.
*Icicle Spear - STAB, and gains an insane 187 base power (STAB included) thanks to Skill Link!
*Rock Blast - coverage, gains 125 base power also because of Skill Link.
*Surf/Razor Shell - choose your other STAB attack based on the nature. I recommend a mixed set to deal with walls and so Shell Break's Sp. Attack boost isn't wasted.

Comments

Shell smash lowers the user's def and sp.def by 1 stage each, Not 2.

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hey!terrakion da second!with close combat and stone edge

Answer 2

Good, But You Could always add toxic, or Ice Beam, or Surf, as Cloyster has decent sp. attack also. Poison Jab Might, be good, too, to cover grass weakness.

Answer 3

Gen V

Cloyster (M) @ Focus Sash

Trait: Skill Link

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd

Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)

• Icicle Spear
• Rock Blast
• Shell Smash
• Razor Shell

Okay then, Focus Sash allows you to get up Shell Smash. Now you have Skill Link, which makes your STAB Icicle Spear and Rock Blast do a ton of damage while also breaking through Substitute, Sturdy, and Focus Sash. Razor Shell provides STAB, and also has a good chance of lowering the defense of the foe, which could be helpful for foes with defense boosts or resistances. Standard sweeping EVs.

Answer 4

Special Cloyster

Cloyster @ Focus Sash/White Herb

Trait: Overcoat
EVs: 252 SAtk / 4 Def / 252 Spd
Modest Nature
- Shell Smash
- Hydro Pump
- Ice Beam
- Hidden Power [Electric]\Hidden Power [Grass]\Hidden Power [Fire]

This clam is famous in OU for its bulk and Shell Smash sweeping capabilities, and although Cloyster is kind of a nub Pokemon, that is no reason for me to not realize it is always used as a Physical Attacker, and try to make use of its less significant SAtk. It is not able to surprise the enemy by Shell Smashing, but it IS able to pull some shenanigans by being a special attacker, which can allow it to get around many of the things that give physical variants trouble, such as Skarmory, Ferrothorn, and mostly Steel types that can be found running Physically Defensive sets as a standard. Hydro Pump is STAB, Ice Beam is secondary STAB and they are pretty much Cloyster's special versions of Razor Shell and Icicle Spear. The last attacking option is usually a split between HP Grass or Electric for hitting bulky water types, Grass for things like Gadtrodon and Rorom-W, and Electric for Pokemon such as Gyarados and Skarmory better. However, should you decide that you already have buly waters coveted, Hidden Power Fire is an option for bringing down Ferrothorn, Skarmory, Magnezone, and the occasional Abomasnow. Another perk of Special Cloyster is that it can run Overcoat, meaning it can not be worn down by Sand, which would render any physical variant's Focus Sashes useless.

Answer 5

Support Cloyster

Suggested ability: Overcoat

• Spikes
• Toxic Spikes
• Ice shard
• Rapid spin/Protect

This set is done better by several other pokemon, but Cloyster can still fit a nice Niche on weather teams and anti weather teams. The spikes damage the opponent, while ice shard is there to break through various pokemon. He's a support cloyster in this sense rather than rampaging with shell smash. Sand teams rely a lot on building up damage and finishing things off with high powered attackers. The spikes will poison plenty of pokemon and wear at them. He would go great with a partner with ground moves, so as to deal with the pokemon this will draw out, like Nidoking, Heatran, Reunilicus, etc. A spin blocker would also be in order. Golurk makes a nice partner since Cloyster can switch in without fear of fighting or rock moves. He has to watch out for grass moves, but those are a lot easier to predict than the other more common moves.

Answer 6

Gen IV Ingame

Cloyster (M) @ Leftovers / Whatever you have

Trait: Skill Link / Shell Armor

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SDef or 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 SDef

Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk) / Calm Nature ( +SDef, -Atk )

• Rock Blast / Mud Shot / Whatever HP you can get with decent power
• Poison Jab / Surf / Whirlpool / Brine
• Spike Cannon / Signal Beam / Whirlpool
• Avalanche / Icicle Spear / Ice Shard / Ice Beam

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Looks a little messy, but here's how it works.

You can go physical with a Careful nature, and the first EV spread, Making use of Skill Link. Rock Blast is still beastly back in Gen IV, so you can work with that. Poison Jab is a great way to have a main attacking move ( You need those ingame ) That you can drain your PP on, Spike Cannon gives you great neutral hits on Those annoying Trainer battles, and Avalanch, Icicle Spear, or Ice Shard gives you whatever Ice coverage you want for him.
Special set uses either ability, although the second one is prefered, Calm Nature, and the second Ev spread. Mud Shot and HP [Anything] are your options for your first slot, not too bad. Surf is hard hitting STAB and that much needed transportation, although in HG / SS you might want Whirlpool if you already have a surf user, and Brine can be used for great strategies, but isn't the best choice might I add. Signal Beam is gotten from a move tutor, but if you can get it, it works well. While Whirlpool is there again if you want a surfer and a Whirlpooler. Last slot is Ice Beam, which is a stand alone boss move for ingame and competitive.

Answer 7

Gen V Set for Shellder

Shellder (M) @ Eviolite

Trait: Shell Armor

EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef

Impish Nature (+Def, -SAtk)

• Toxic
• Rapid Spin
• Iron Defense
• Explosion

Eh, it has good defense. So just use some helpful moves.

Comments

why eviolite? i thought it is only for pokemon still can evolve

Answer 8

Cloyster (M) @ Life Orb

Role: Tankster

Trait: Skill Link

EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 SDef

Careful Nature (+SDef, -SAtk)

• Icicle Spear
• Rock Blast
• Razor Shell
• Spike Cannon

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Well, Trachy already did the Sweepster, this is the Tankster!

Metronome is rather Cheap, increasing your Power of your move every time you hit, meaning every hit, which is 5 times for every hit 2 to 5 move because of skill link.

Ice Spear for STAB

Rock Blast for Coverage

Spike Cannon For Reliability

And Razor Shell For STAB.

Comments

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Metronome does not gain power by every hit, but by how many TURNS in a row you use it. As such, it is once again a pathetic and quite useless item.

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Then Hydreigonrocks is about to lose some points for an answer that I so fooishly just trusted was correct...

Answer 9

Cloyster (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Skill Link
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spd
Adamant Nature (+Atk, -SAtk)
- Rock Blast
- Shell Smash
- Icicle Spear
- Ice Shard

Comments

thats exactly how my cloyster is except for nature...mines jolly

Answer 10

Double/Triple Battle

Cloyster (M) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Shell Armor
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Surf
- Shell Smash
- Blizzard
- Hidden Power [Electric]

I'd say risk it. I don't usually support stat boosting in Double/Triple battles because it is so incredibly risky and is usually not going to be worth the risk. However, Shell Smash Cloyster might be worth the risk. Surf and Blizzard are STAB that hit multiple foes. HP Electric is coverage.

Answer 11

Cloyster (M) @White Herb

Trait: Skill link
EV's: 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Jolly Nature (+Spd, -SAtk)
~Shell Smash
~Rock Blast
~Spike Cannon
~Icicle Spear